So Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah: and Elah his son reigned in his stead.
Baasha died and was buried in Tirzah, and Elah his son reigned in his stead as king of the northern kingdom of Israel. Baasha had reigned twenty-four years, and Elah's two-year reign ended with his death, bringing Baasha's dynasty to an end. The death and succession followed the Lord's judgment against Baasha and his house delivered by the prophet Jehu in 1 Kings 16:1-7. Father and son stand in the sequence of Israelite kings Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri and Ahab, in the time of Abijah and Asa in Judah.
The verse belongs to the wholly historical portion of 1 Kings 3-21, a sad record of general moral decline in Judah and Israel with times of reviving. More specifically it belongs to the account of Israel's apostasy under its kings, who led the people away from the worship of God toward idolatry, corruption and disobedience to His commandments. It records the setting for Elijah's ministry under the weak king Ahab, whose wife Jezebel promoted Baal worship, a time when God still had a faithful remnant who answered His prophet's call.
It teaches that kings bore responsibility for the people, so that when leaders sought God and were faithful and strong for Him they molded the people immensely and when leaders failed to lead in right ways the people failed with them. Whenever the people sought God He wrought for them and through them abundantly.
Baasha died and was buried in Tirzah, and Elah his son reigned in his stead as king of the northern kingdom of Israel. Baasha had reigned twenty-four years, and Elah's two-year reign ended with his death, bringing Baasha's dynasty to an end. The death and succession followed the Lord's judgment against Baasha and his house delivered by the prophet Jehu in 1 Kings 16:1-7. Father and son stand in the sequence of Israelite kings Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri and Ahab, in the time of Abijah and Asa in Judah.
The verse belongs to the wholly historical portion of 1 Kings 3-21, a sad record of general moral decline in Judah and Israel with times of reviving. More specifically it belongs to the account of Israel's apostasy under its kings, who led the people away from the worship of God toward idolatry, corruption and disobedience to His commandments. It records the setting for Elijah's ministry under the weak king Ahab, whose wife Jezebel promoted Baal worship, a time when God still had a faithful remnant who answered His prophet's call.
It teaches that kings bore responsibility for the people, so that when leaders sought God and were faithful and strong for Him they molded the people immensely and when leaders failed to lead in right ways the people failed with them. Whenever the people sought God He wrought for them and through them abundantly.